Fertile Ground Festival

Sometimes it seems like Portland’s soggy winters are good only for growing mold and mushrooms, as everything else pulls into its shell or a good book. But these dark days of introspection also nurture one of Portland’s most verdant arts festivals: Fertile Ground. One of the only fests in the country to present a noncurated lineup of new works spanning theater, dance, and multidisciplinary arts, Fertile Ground will bring some 90 world premieres and staged readings by 50 producers to venues across the city. Pickings include full productions like Portland Playhouse’s doo-wop serial-killer thriller The Huntsmen, multidisciplinary masters Hand2Mouth’s evolving show Something’s Got Ahold of My Heart, and the raw-’n’-pungent multinight art salad at Milepost 5’s Ripen: A Feast of New Works.

Witnessing performances in their earliest form gives a rare glimpse into the creative loam that nurtures this city. Yes, some of the shows will fall flat, but others will go on to bigger stages, like Hand2Mouth Theatre’s My Mind Is Like an Open Meadow, which has now played from Vancouver, B.C., to New York. So get chomping. Visit website for venues, showtimes, and prices.